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Should You Look At Hypnosis For Alcohol And Drug Treatment?
by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.
There were four controlled clinical trials of hypnosis that were done in the late 1950's to late 1960's. None of them found hypnosis to have an impact on drinking behavior. However, I have not seen studies that assessed hypnosis for treating withdrawal.
Most clinicians do not consider drug or alcohol withdrawal to be significantly aided by hypnosis. While hypnosis has been shown effective for a wide variety of specific problems, drug and alcohol treatment does not seem to be in that group. Perhaps more research will show it to be helpful in the future.
Meanwhile, there are a number of effective withdrawal protocols for alcohol and drug treatment which are provided by treatment centers and professionals with expertise in these matters.
About the Author:
Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 9426 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Phone: (505) 345-6100
Dr. Hester is has developed an evidence-based, web application called ModerateDrinking.com to help heavy drinkers be successful in changing their drinking. A video demo of the program is available at www.behaviortherapy.com
Revised 9/7/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.
